Economic viability plays a key role in sustainable farming

Liwa Sustainable farming has three key components such as being environment friendly, economically viable and socially acceptable, James Thompson, cropping unit head at Abu Dhabi Farmers Service Centre (ADFSC), told Gulf News. At an Emirati farmer's farm in Liwa, the centre guides the farmer how to build sustainability based on the three principles. The eco-friendly measures begin with developing organic fertiliser from natural sources like manure in place of chemical fertilisers. As part of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), harmless pesticides (and insecticides) are developed from natural sources in place of chemical pesticides. Biological control of pests and insects is also a part of the programme. Biological control is defined as the reduction of pest populations by natural enemies and typically involves an active human role. Even the less toxic insecticide and pesticides are used in pre-harvest intervals only. "It means they will be used a few days or even one or two weeks before the harvest. By the time the crops are harvested, the effect of pesticide or insecticide should have disappeared," he said. Water saving techniques is another eco-friendly measure. Inline drip irrigation system installed in farm saves huge amount of water compared to traditional drip irrigation. A soil water monitoring system gauges the amount of water needed for each plant. Based on its reading, the irrigation is planned, said Ali Abdul Jabbar, senior extension engineer at ADFSC in Liwa. The economic viability begins with the market oriented farming. "Crops are planned based on market studies. A study revealed that there is more demand for small cauliflower than large ones," Thompson said. Green house farming is also implemented in the farm, which economise on land and water use. The third principle of sustainability — social acceptance — is not very much relevant in the UAE, still the centre takes care of that aspect, he said. For example in many countries genetically modified [GM] crops are not socially acceptable, he said.